


The Many Arthurs

by Jay_s_Atelier



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Writing Synthesis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 06:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30051486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_s_Atelier/pseuds/Jay_s_Atelier
Summary: Merlin wants to look into a few other timelines Arthurs and ropes him into looking with her. Who knew the three other dimension timelines could be so different?
Relationships: Merlin (Fate/Prototype)/Arthur Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	The Many Arthurs

**Author's Note:**

> Big surprise, but I do not own any of the characters or anything in the Fate fandom. My status as a Master in FGO doesn't entitle me to anything. I do, however, own the plot bunny for what I just wrote. You can thank the characters for being voluntold to participate~

“There are a lot of versions of myself.” Arthur, the only male King Arthur noted. The female version of him seemed to come in a variety of classes and, sometimes, had an alternative history about them. It appeared the only different Arthur he had here was in the form of a small child that somehow ended up a Rider summon and the son of a Celt goddess.

“This is true. Would you like to see even more of them?” His Merlin asked sounding idle of his wishes when he _knew_ she was ready to show him at a moment’s notice.

“If we could do so through a scrying pond instead of going there that would be a little interesting to see.” Arthur found himself agreeing to the distraction. He liked the fact that in Chaldea the two of them were able to once again reunite, he was not giving up that privilege for anything.

“Most of the other versions of yourself did the same thing and walked the same path over again. So let’s look to the worlds a lot farther to see something different.” Merlin’s eyes were twinkling and Arthur bet she copied that off of a character in the wizard book, the one that went to a school called Hogwarts – Arthur wondered just how flippant, or drunk, you had to be to name a school, or castle in general, that. Arthur hadn’t made quite the dent that Merlin or even the other Merlin had made in the library, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t enjoy a good book to sit and relax with.

“How far away? It won’t be too difficult for you, right.” Arthur was concerned even if he was confident Merlin could do it. Unfortunately, just because she could do it, didn’t change that she was one of the most impulsive people he knew when it came to her pride.

“Of course, I can do it. I may not be the Magician of the Kaleidoscope, but my ability to see into other worlds is just as good.” Most would take this as bragging, but Merlin was nothing but truthful when they claimed to be able to accomplish something. “I just don’t focus on Magical Girl worlds as often as he does.”

Arthur looked over at her latest outfit, the one he did not recall her wearing in his own time, and right back to those pink eyes of hers. “But you even based your new outfit on that Sailor Moon show’s uniform.” He wasn’t going to doubt her, but it was hard to imagine a bigger fan of Magical Girls let alone the worlds housing them – than Merlin.

“Merlins might be more prone to watching Disney than anything else.” Merlin confessed.

Arthur nodded, understanding dawning. He did wonder why there was a room dedicated to Disney to the point that it reminded a few of the staff of Romani’s Magi*Mari obsession. It wasn’t like Merlin hid the truth from him when he point blank asked, but Arthur kept his mouth shut about it to the others regardless about the Director. It’s not like he wasn’t attempting to save humanity like the rest of them. At least his obsession was the Idol Magi*Mari to the Merlin’s Disney and the Gilgamesh’s on the creations of humanity being his.Personally, Arthur wondered if it was the clairvoyance that made a mage prone to finding one ideal to obsess over.

“So, do you want to look?” Merlin really seemed interested now, Arthur couldn’t disagree.

“Just _three_ different versions of myself that aren’t in any way close.” Arthur conceded. This time, Arthur could tell the smile within Merlin’s eyes was real..

.

* * *

.

“What timeline is this called?”

“Zelretch calls it the SMITE timeline.”

The two of them watched a clean shaven dark haired Arthur in armor that only shared color swing a sword that was close to the size that Excalibur was one handed. As a matter of fact, Arthur could see how the heavy armor would work for someone more like Percival, but it was too bulky for his own frame. Merlin was not the only one that tended to do aerial maneuvers when they could. And his ability to turn on a dime as they say now and bend how he was used to in his armor would be lost. Not even the other knights he had seen had such bulky armor.

“There’s too many decorations… I think this was ceremonial, except he’s actually using it?” Arthur tried to reason it out. It did look nice, but he preferred his own tailored armor to his counterpart; it was simpler. His counterpart that actually looked older than he did.

“Not going to comment on the strange land, or creatures, he’s fighting?” Merlin teased. Amused it was the armor, of all things, that got to him.

“We do that part often enough.”

.

* * *

.

“Now what is this timeline called?”

“Zelretch called it the Seven Deadly Sins timeline.”

“Is that supposed to be me?” Arthur was looking at more of an orange colored haired knight in gold armor.

“He is the other you.” Merlin confirmed.

“He reminds me of Gilgamesh in his armor with a white cloak. It’s still more maneuverable than the last armor I will admit.” Arthur conceded as he saw his counterpart with a similar eye color to Merlin’s male self in Chaldea fight off an enemy.

“Oh.. I suppose that is my own counterpart too.” Merlin looked actually surprised. Arthur abruptly turned his head to the side when he saw what her counterpart was wearing. It made some of the other Servants here seem tame. The short, black hair was a surprise, but he didn’t need to see how this Merlin’s body looed closer to his older female counterpart’s. The one that used a lance.

.

* * *

.

“And what timeline is this Arthur from?” Arthur was hoping for no repeat this time with this world’s Merlin.

“Zelretch called it the BBC timeline.”

“One day, you might ask him where he comes up with these labels.” Arthur mused.

This version looked to be more similar to himself, if not a lot more arrogant. Morgan appeared to be the dark haired one here and somehow not knowing they were siblings, or her own magic. Apparently, Uther was still alive and seemed to have made it a crime to be born, or using it?

“Merlin, the other you is a male version of Morgan this time. Are you related to me in this timeline?”

“No, see. This other version of me is talking about their mother and a missing father.”

“Merlin that man just called himself and that version of Merlin a Dragon Lord? Are you a dragon this time?”

“I don’t know. Don’t you know enough dragons by now.”

.

* * *

.

“Do you want to look at more some time?” Merlin spoke, mid seeming to be looking at the implications of the other timelines.

“I think I would rather we read in the library. Your other self has a fort.”


End file.
